Commonwealth
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2002 Commonwealth Games Day Three
by Martin Bronstein in London, July 28 2002

[last update was 5-aug-02 ]

LEILANI'S BACK…JUST
We finally got to see some first -rate squash; indeed, there was hardly a dull match as the players added a little national pride to their determination. Wearing their country's shirts and being watched (dutifully) by other members of their team and crew, they really didn't want to let the side down.

For Leilani (Joyce) Rorani, highly patriotic at the best of times, this was a very special occasion considering the surgeon who worked on her torn Achilles Tendon six months ago told her she would be out of the game for a year. She has been taking careful steps towards competition since May and making the Commonwealth Games her comeback tournament was a mentally overwhelming decision.

Leilani tested her form against Malaysia's Nicol David (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

As the first game against Malaysia's present and future star, Nicol David, started to unfold, it seemed that it had been a foolish decision. The very experienced David - she won the world junior championship twice - soon had Rorani running around the court to take a commanding lead, but then she seemed to switch off and the newly-married Kiwi, clawed back to win 9-5.

The same thing almost happened in the second game, David hitting sublime winners, fearless in her use of the stop volley and sublime in her almost casually caressed drops into the nick. David knows exactly the right shot to play at the right time and her speed around the court is always astonishing, no matter how many times you've seen her before. She ran to a 6-2 lead and then a 7-4 lead at which point Rorani took a slow walk to the front of the court and back before serving, a sure sign of fatigue.

Nicol hit a shot close to the tin to get to game ball but had to serve six times before she could claim the game 10-8. A tough five game match was the last thing Rorani needed on her first encounter and even losing the game second extended game did not bode well.

When David took three rapid points on two winners and a Rorani error, things looked even blacker for the All Blacks. But there were small signs that the diminutive David was feeling the pace and although she led 5-3, Rorani pushed the pace up and kept stretching David to the point where she finally made the error.

David never scored another point in that game and from the start of the fourth it was obvious that her tank was empty as Rorani used her experience to push through to win 9-2.

Rorani was her usual voluble self and when asked how she turned the games around she said: "The smell of defeat came my way."

Of her injury she commented: "I've come a long way and I've got a long way to go. Today I was playing on raw energy and with my decreased mobility I have to think more. The one thing I've come to appreciate was how good I was. I took it all quite easily, now when I realise how hard I have to work to get back to my former standard, it made me appreciate what I had. To be playing here at the Commonwealth Games is a minor miracle and for the first time ever I am enjoying the team situation."

Nicol David was happy to have taken a game off Leilani and recognised her opponent's superiorities. "She can put more pressure on me and play so tight. The first game I played at my pace and when she upped the pace, she won it. She did that in all the games, increasing the pace half-way through and there was nothing I could do. I have to train more; get more strength and more pace," she said.

OLD MAN WALKER KEEPS ON ROLLING

Veteran Walker outpointed strong competitor Martin Heath (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

Meanwhile on the other glass court (yes! two sparkling all-glass courts under one roof, total seating capacity in excess of 2,000) Scotland's Martin Heath and Chris Walker of England battled for one hour and 23 minutes for a quarter-final place,with tenth seeded Walker upsetting form by beating Heath, seeded seven. When Heath won the third 27 minute-long game to go to a 2/1 lead, it looked as though he would be going through.

After all, Walker is now 35 years old, but a series of referee's calls, which he considered bad, got his ire up and he managed to get l fired up again to win the fourth and then take the fifth 9-1 in under five minutes. Under normal circumstance you can normally expect the younger man to win the final game in that manner. But we have got past the point of being surprised by Walker and if he is still around in four years for the next Games, I shan't be the least bit surprised.

ONG OFF-SONG AGAIN
Graham Ryding has slipped to 28 in the world rankings while Ong Beng Hee is up there in the top ten at number eight. But something is wrong with Ong's mental game and once more he went down to a player he should be beating. Ong looked dismal at the Super Series finals, playing without fire or spirit, but as no ranking points were involved, it seemed unimportant. There are not ranking points here, but the prestige is enormous. He still could not rouse himself, losing to the Canadian after winning the opening game 9-3. It was a long match - 68 minutes - and Ryding was happy to bring off the second upset of the day to earn a meeting with Peter Nicol in the quarters.

RICKETTS STILL ROCKETING
Watching Australian Anthony Ricketts play squash is similar to watching a fire in a fireworks factory - it's enormous fun with but an underlying feeling that no-one's in charge.

Peter Nicol withstood the challege from Anthony Ricketts (photo © 2002 Fritz Borchert)

He played blindingly well to lead Peter Nicol 5-0 in the first game, hitting crackerjack winners and leaving the world champion helpless. It couldn't last and Nicol slowly reeled him in to win the first game 9-5. And then just to show who's boss he won the second 9-0. due in part to Rickett's constant quest for winners producing errors.

Nicol's pure, watchmaker's precision is rarely talked about, but when he puts in a volley drop - regardless of the speed of his opponent's ball, it is so soft, so tight, that even if his opponent does get it up, it is a poor shot which can be punished. Ricketts got back into the third game by cutting out his errors and adding some patience. This produced three huge rallies with Nicol retrieving from impossible positions to save points that had long gone.

Towards the end there was some bad blood due to some body contact, and when Rickett's leg got in the way of a Nicol charge, the world champion gave the Aussie a glare that would have cut through steel. He won the game after being forced into extra points, 10-8, and said that he had a fantastic match and enjoyed the spirit of the crowd. "This was my first tough game of the competition and I was relieved to get it out of the way" he added.

RESULTS MEN'S THIRD ROUND
Peter Nicol (Eng) bt Anthony rickets (Aus) 9-5, 9-0, 10-8.
Graham Ryding (Can) bt Ong Ben Hee (Mas) 3-9, 9-4, 9-2, 9-0.
David Palmer (Aus) bt Alex Gough (Wal) 9-6, 9-7, 9-7.
Chris Walker (Eng) bt Martin Heath (Sco)3-9, 9-6, 7-9, 9-7, 9-1.

WOMEN'S SECOND ROUND
Sarah Fitz-Gerald Aus) bt Sharon Wee (Mas) 9-2, 9-0, 9-2
Stephanie Brind (Eng) bt Wendy Maitland (Sco) 9-5, 2-9, 7-9, 9-0, 9-0.
Leilani Rorani (NZ) bt Nicol David (Mas) 9-5, 8-10, 9-5, 9-2
Rachael Grinham (Aus) bt Pamela Nimmo (Sco) 9-4, 9-3, 9-4.

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